Home has never felt so far away till now.
Being in Peru means that I’m the closest to home I’ll ever be on the race. According to the map, that is.
I was recently sick to the point of being hospitalized. When it comes to being sick, the only thing I want is to be wrapped in blankets, watching TV, with my mum. Home.
As I laid in the hospital bed, the home I wanted was the place I’d grown up in, surrounded by the warmth and love of the one who grew me into who I am today. When I was driving away from the hospital to the hostel, the home I wanted was the windows-down, music-loud drive to Chick-fil-A. As I sit here now, back in a hospital room for the sake of my teammate Tori, I want home for her. Whatever that may be, I’m craving it.
Being away from home for 4 months is making me realize that home is a self-created atmosphere. Normally when I say I’m “homesick,” I’m not thinking of the house I grew up in. I’m thinking of my family, my best friends, and the experiences I’ve lived. These people were my choice to love and live life with; I chose to make them my home. Right now, I’m at a different place of life. I’m creating memories and moments in places with people I never imagined.
It’s my choice whether or not I choose to make my here my home.
If you were to ask me what the hardest part of the race is, that would be my answer. The Lord is reminding me of the fact that my body is His temple, the best kind of home there is. Wherever He leads, that’s where I’m to be. And THAT is home. Creating home where I’m at requires effort and digging into what He’s harvesting there. And right now, that’s a hospital room in Cusco, Peru. The Lord is wild in His ways, that’s for sure.
I joked around with my friends before I left that I would start missing them 6 months into the race. Well, here I am, 4 months along, and I haven’t gone a day without thinking about each of you. I miss you, but no worries, I’m creating home here. I’ll be in Cincy to create more home with each of you sooner than we think.
Please keep Tori in your prayers as she recovers from salmonella and a parasite. She’s a fighter, and really just wants to get out of the hospital! I’d like to thank each of you for getting me this far and pushing me out of my comfort zone. Thank you for being a form of home for me; I love living life with each of you.
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Here’s what I’ve been listening to!
“Like Real People Do” by Hozier
“Worthy of it All” by Lauren Alexandria
…and the soundtrack to “The Greatest Showman!”
